South Gables Fitness District: one stop for fitness junkies

By Nancy Eagleton

Power up at Bala Vinyasa Yoga Miami.

The South Gables Fitness District is the ultimate destination for fitness fanatics. The 1430 S. Dixie Hwy. address is home to Bala Vinyasa Yoga Miami, Metropolis Fitness and EBP Cycling Lab — a triple threat to your health and wellness routine.

Begin your fitness journey with a holistic approach to health and well-being at Bala Vinyasa Yoga Miami, one of only 27 Baptiste affiliates in the world. Yoga practitioners will experience the Baptiste Power Vinyasa sequence that encompasses all major components of fitness: cardiovascular conditioning, muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, agility and coordination.

Senior Baptiste yoga teacher and studio owner Kiersten Mooney said the yoga style empowers and inspires people to go beyond their self-imposed limitations.

“It’s such a powerful yoga practice,” Mooney said. “It’s very transformative — both spiritually and physically. Practice three times a week to change your body, five times a week to change your life.”

After obtaining a degree in exercise physiology from the University of Miami, Mooney opened her first Bala Vinyasa Yoga location in Naples. Six years later, she returned to Coral Gables to give back to the community that was her home for years. She splits her time between her two locations, which are both accredited yoga schools that offer 200- and 500-hour teacher training certification programs. Mooney also has reconnected with her alma mater and is collaborating with UM on a yoga research study.

The state-of-the-art Coral Gables facility will host Journey into Baptiste Yoga, Aug. 25, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Yoga practitioners from all over the Southeast will unite for a day of yoga immersion.

From kids’ yoga classes to therapeutic yoga, Bala Vinyasa Yoga offers a class suited for every age and level.

“Yoga complements any exercise program and will improve the performance of any activity,” Mooney said. “It’s great for any athlete — cyclists, runners, triathletes.”

To that end, Bala Vinyasa Yoga Miami has partnered with Metropolis Fitness to offer unlimited yoga classes and gym membership for $169 per month. For more information, call 786-953-7709 or visit online at www.bvyoga.com